The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the bibliometric contributions of high-impact social work faculty.

Toward this end, we used a sample comprising fellows (N = 143) affiliated with the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). To quantify impact, we relied primarily upon the h-index (a measure of lifetime scholarly impact) and the m-index (which adjusts for career length).

Analyses revealed the mean h-index value for SSWR fellows (M = 26.44, SD = 14.72) was substantially lower than the mean for AASWSW fellows (M = 32.52, SD = 15.96), but minimal differences existed in m-index values. H- and m-index values for the 40 highest impact scholars ranged, respectively, from 33 to 93 and 1.13 to 3.33.

The results indicate the social work profession includes many researchers who are making an exceptional scientific impact.